Jackie Robin grew up on a farm near Marcelin, Saskatchewan, which transitioned from a mixed farm to a hog operation. After high school she left for Calgary, Alberta where she earned a bachelor’s degree in visual communications at the Alberta University of Arts.

Jackie is the Communications Director at Ag-West Bio, where she has worked since 2005. Ag-West Bio supports agri-food startups, so in this role, Jackie has been immersed in Saskatchewan’s agricultural bioscience sector, interacting with numerous organizations in the community, including the commodity groups, business associations, agri-food companies and of course, the ‘public trust amplifiers’ – Farm & Food Care and Agriculture in the Classroom (where she also served as a board member). 

Jackie says a favourite part of her job is acting as coordinator for Global Biotech Week. She chairs a committee that develops a week of events including industry networking and public outreach. “I love working with the committee members who are also passionate about agriculture and science. We all believe that science is the key to sustainable agriculture, and we try to find creative and fun ways to share that message.”

She has too many favourite foods to name just one, but veggies straight from the garden turned into a fresh salad is right up there. “Goes great with a grilled burger and craft beer!” 

Ivy Rachkewich represents Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan on the FFC SK Board. She grew up on a poultry farm by Rose Valley Saskatchewan and spent her life in agriculture. Ivy and her husband expanded the family farm in 2000 and bought out the remainder of the farm in 2013.  They have owned and operated their poultry farm for over 24 years. Their farm is family run, with her and her kids doing the majority of the work while her husband works away in the mining industry. 

Ivy cares about building public trust in food and farming. She would like to raise awareness with the public and consumers, that we are growing healthy, safe food in our province, while maintaining and protecting the land, and doing our best to reduce our personal carbon footprint. The best part of the egg sector is meeting and collaborating with fellow farmers to share our message. Saskatchewan agriculture produces top quality proteins, dairy and grains at a very reasonable cost to the consumer. We have the ideal province for agriculture. 

Ivy’s favourite food from Canada and Saskatchewan is definitely chicken!!! 😁❤️
Her favourite piece of farm equipment is hands-down, the John Deere gator!!!!💚💛She cannot farm without it! Every farm should have a gator or side-by-side that has a hoist box on it.

Ivy is looking forward to being part of the Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan organization and helping spread awareness about agriculture in our province.

Stuart Lawrence represents the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers on the FFC SK Board. He farms west of Rosetown in west central Saskatchewan, and grows red lentils, durum wheat, malt barley, canary seed, flax, and canola. Lawrence Farms celebrated 100 years of farming in 2007 and also won the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association’s Conservation Farm Family of the Year Award that same year.

Stuart has been working in agriculture his entire life. “I grew up on my great-grandfather’s homestead and have carried on as the fourth generation to live and work here. I rented my first land in 1989 and have been farming ever since.”

He thinks it’s vital for producers to speak up about what they do. “There are a lot of voices in the space surrounding food safety and nutrition, but none should be louder than those who work every day to nourish society. The public deserves to feel that their food is produced in a safe and sustainable manner and primary producers are the best voices to provide that message.”

Stuart loves being a farmer. “I’m motivated by providing food to the world,” he says. “Knowing that what I grow this year becomes the food that fuels the citizens of the world is what drives me to improve my processes and be more efficient and effective.”

When asked about his favourite piece of equipment on the farm, Stuart says “All of them! If I’m forced to pick just one, it would have to be my air drill. The spring season is my favourite and the potential of the whole year depends on a quality seeding operation.”

Leonard Wipf represents SaskMilk on the FFC SK Board. He has spent his life working in agriculture, managing aspects of crop farming, raising pigs and maintaining the dairy at the Clear Springs Hutterite Colony near Kenaston, SK. Leonard says he loves almost everything about farming, especially how it is a great life for family. “I like how all the different parts of the farm all come together to make a life,” he says.

He also appreciates how agriculture is a cycle, both in the annual rhythms of planning, seeding, growing and harvesting, as well as in how everything is used as feed, food or byproducts.

Leonard says that FFC SK is an important voice between the farmer and the consumer. “We need to let people know that their food is safe and that we are constantly working to improve the food, the land and the way we work with animals,” he says. As for his favourite Canadian food, “I love to eat it all!” he smiles. But it’s hard to beat a good steak.

Jason Hofer represents SaskPork on the FFC SK Board.

Jason farms and finishes pigs at Spring Lake Hutterite Colony near Swift Current SK. He has spent his whole life farming and has been in the pig industry for 13 years. 

Jason cares about the future of farming and the hog industry and has become a director on the Sask Pork board and a director on the Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan board. He says its an honor for him to represent Sask Pork on the Farm & Food Care SK board. He thinks educating the public about faming and where their food comes from is important. Everyone should know that farmers work hard to grow good, safe food for everyone to eat. Jason’s favorite food is bacon and eggs for breakfast and beef for supper.

David Altrogge represents SaskCanola on the FFC SK Board. He farms with his family near St. Benedict in northeast Saskatchewan. He has been involved in agriculture for more than 20 years and says he enjoys working outdoors, close to the soil. “I love the challenge of growing crops and raising livestock.”

FFC SK’s work to build consumer confidence in food and farming is essential, David says. “Public trust is so important for consumers to feel good about the safety and sustainability of their food. Farmers care about their land and animals. We need to show to the public the good work farmers of Saskatchewan do to grow wholesome, safe food.”

Darren Wiens represents The Saskatchewan Egg Producers on the FFC SK Board.  Darren and wife Karen operate a 9500 bird commercial layer operation near Hague.  In addition to the farm, Darren also works full-time for Star Egg Company and Harman Farms.

Darren has been working in the poultry industry for over 20 years.  In 2011, he was chosen as one of the first new entrants in the Saskatchewan layer industry.  In a few short years of being in production, his facility has gone from a conventional housing system to a fully-enriched housing system which allows the chickens more room to express the natural behaviours such as nesting, roosting, and scratching.  “I look forward to starting each day at 5:30am, checking that my hens are fed, watered and happy–and being able to gather the eggs at the end of day.”

Connecting with and educating the consumer is an important priority in our industry and taking part in Agribition is an opportunity that Darren has been a part of for many years.  It is an opportunity, as a Saskatchewan farmer, to be a face of farming and show the public that we take pride in raising our hens, using locally-grown grains. I like providing a safe environment that in turn allows the hens to lay the best possible eggs for Saskatchewan consumers.

Gordon Moellenbeck represents SaskBarley on the FFC SK Board.

Gordon Moellenbeck has been a farmer for over 40 years in the Englefeld area. He is actively involved in promoting and expanding his malt barley operation, growing crops for Prairie Malt, and working with Canterra Seeds with Connect barley. For the past two years, Gordon was asked to promote Saskatchewan-grown barley with Federated Co-operatives’ beer production, brewed at Great Western Brewery. Gordon has always pursued new farming techniques, especially advances in quality barley production. He strives for purity in his barley, practicing excellent farm management with yearly crop rotations and keeping all farm equipment clean.

Gordon attended the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre Intensive Malting Course in 2017 in Winnipeg, MB. Always expanding his knowledge of new ideas with barley and malt analysis results in Gordon’s own quality crops. 

Gordon and his brothers operate a mixed farming operation, growing barley, canola, and wheat as a part of the Bell M Farm family operation. Corn is also grown to assist in feeding the family Shorthorn cattle herd. Gordon has developed excellent leadership and communication skills through his experience as a 4-H leader for 10 years and supervisor at Schulte & Doepker Industries.

Lesley Kelly represents the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission on the FFC SK Board.

Lesley was born and raised on a farm in Watrous, Saskatchewan and she’s been working in agriculture since graduating from the University of Saskatchewan in 2004. She worked in crop inputs as well as in the ag financial sector before moving to work fulltime on the farm. In addition, Lesley has created and marketed a snack food from the barley grown on the farm, and she’s the voice behind social media blog “High Heels and Canola Fields.” Lesley is a co-founder of the Do More Agriculture Foundation, an initiative to promote mental health in Canadian agriculture.

“If you care about your farm, you should care about building trust,” Lesley says. “On our farm, without public trust in food and farming, we would not be able to use certain tools and practices that help to offer a variety of choices for the public and sustain the land and resources for the future.”

Lesley says the best part of being involved in agriculture is the people. “Agriculture is made up of the most innovative, hard-working and passionate people that build strong communities and connections across Canada and the world.”

She points out that it’s way to hard to pick just one Saskatchewan food as a favourite. Harvest hot dogs, saskatoon berry pie, Baba’s perogies…that’s just getting started!

Scott Shiels represents Grain Millers Canada on the FFC SK Board of Directors. Grain Millers is one of the largest millers of oats in the world.

Scott has seen over 30 harvest in the agriculture sector. He says that, hands down, the best part of working in the farm sector is the people. “The relationships I have built over the last 30 years, both personal and business, are some of the most important in my life.”

Building public trust provides support to the Canadian economy and helps us provide safe affordable food to consumers, Scott says. “Consumer confidence in our food and farming system is paramount to supporting growth in our industry. Without it, we would lack the ability to grow our domestic markets for the products we grow and produce here on the Prairies, and in Canada as a whole.”

Scott says his favourite piece of farm equipment is the combine because “it has the biggest effect on the quality of the grain we purchase here at our mill.” He also says picking one favourite food from Saskatchewan is tough, but as a weekend pitmaster, Prairie-grown beef is a definite contender!

Shelby Corey represents Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association on the FFC SK Board.

She and her family run a cattle ranch in the RM of Montrose southwest of Saskatoon. Shelby earned her Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness from the University of Saskatchewan. She’s been working her whole life in agriculture—on the farm as well as in agribusiness, rural development and in organizations such Saskatchewan 4-H. She says one of the best things about working in the ag sector is that “it is so diverse, yet so interconnected. There is always something to learn!”

FFC SK’s work to connect consumers to farming and food is essential, Shelby says. “Public trust is an important part of building a sustainable industry that people want to support and grow.”

As a longtime cattle rancher, it’s no surprise that Shelby’s favourite food from Saskatchewan is a great steak and her favourite kind of farm equipment is a good horse!

Nicole Lamers represents the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture on the FFC SK Board. Nicole began working for the Ministry of Agriculture in 2018, but has been involved with the family farm with her husband since 2005. Their farm near Southey, Saskatchewan has been in the family for over 100 years.

She says that working with such innovative, hardworking, and dedicated people is absolutely the best part of being involved in the ag sector. “I am surrounded every day by people who inspire me, and show me that the future of agriculture is bright and in good hands,”.

Nicole says that public trust is essential to the agriculture industry. “When our friends, neighbors and consumers have questions about how their food gets to their plates, we need to be there with straightforward, transparent responses,” she explains. “It is everyone’s responsibility to build trust with the public. We can take pride in the way we care for animals, respect the environment, use innovative technology to conserve resources, but if these practices aren’t understood by people, it can impact their level of trust in agriculture.”

Nicole’s favourite Saskatchewan food is all of the berries! “Chokecherries and saskatoons mostly, but recently, I’ve started my own little patch of haskaps. I loved going berry picking as a kid with my parents.”

The combine is a favourite farm implement. “I like how it signals the time to harvest all of the hard work that has gone into the growing season. Also, my kids get a kick out of seeing Mom drive one of the ‘big machines’